The E.N.D. (The Energy Never Dies)

Are BEP in the throes of an identity crisis? Their fifth album is a sleek, minimalist and kind of dark affair that sounds more like a wasted, exhausted morning-after than the over-the-top, glam party they usually throw. A lot of that mood comes from the group's new techno-aesthetic -- the Peas have discovered Auto-Tune and they do more singing than rapping here. All of which raises the question: Can we even call them a hip-pop crew anymore? Yes. Here's why: They still have the power to make even the silliest stuff incredibly fun (case in point: "Imma Be").